Speaking

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) recognized significant deficiencies in two of their cable stay (CS) bridges across the Ohio River. They retained Burgess & Niple (B&N) to inspect, perform non-destructive testing (NDT), generate rehabilitation plans for extending the service life, provide construction oversight during rehabilitation, and preservation of the two structures. This project case study will share the interesting details used on the rehabilitation. 

The William H. Natcher CS Bridge is 4,505 feet long and 67 feet wide. The 96 stay cables attached to two identical diamond-shaped towners, each 374 feet tall, support the bridge. It was the longest stay cable-supported bridge over an inland waterway at the time of construction. The William H. Harsha Bridge is 2,420 feet in length, from abutment to abutment. The Hasha Bridge's 80 stay cables connected to two identical H-shaped towers support the bridge superstructure. Rehabilitation and preservation of the two bridges is ongoing.

Previously owned by the City of Parkersburg, West Virginia, a toll bridge locally known as "Parkersburg Memorial Bridge" connected Parkersburg and the City of Belpre, Ohio. The 70-year-old steel structure was in serious need of rehabilitation to remain in service; however, the funds needed for such a project were above the means of the city.

In early 2021, after a Request for Proposal process, the City of Parkersburg entered a Public-Private Partnership with United Bridge Partners (UBP), a company whose mission is to offer solutions to state and local governments to replace or repair bridges in need. Under this partnership, UBP would acquire the bridge and provide 100% of the funding to rehabilitate the bridge. UBP formed a local subsidiary, Parkersburg Bridge Partners, which will provide long-term operation and maintenance.

Using the Construction Manager/General Contractor (CM/GC) Method for this project, UBP teamed with Modjeski and Masters as the design engineer, Kokosing Construction Company as the General Contractor, and B&N as the Owner's Engineer/Field Representative during construction. This $50+ million project included extensive repairs and replacements of steel components, including pin & hanger-to-splice retrofits in the multi-girder approach spans, strengthening of steel truss members, deck replacement using fiber-reinforced concrete and galvanized rebar, patching and coating of all concrete substructures, complete blast & paint, installation of an upgraded roadway & decorative lighting system, and implementation of an all-electronic tolling system.

The presentation will focus on the rehabilitation scope and the effective partnering among the entire team.